


Sacrifices

by Birdlad (Argothia)



Series: Still Breathing [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Explosions, Gen, Magic, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-28
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2020-01-05 02:09:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18356441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Argothia/pseuds/Birdlad
Summary: Sometimes fate forces your hand.





	Sacrifices

How could things go this bad so quickly?

Twenty-four hours ago everything was business as usual. Twenty-four hours ago everyone was alive. Now? Now, Tim and Jason are the last of their family hiding out in a derelict building from a Joker who's somehow become all powerful. Everyone's dead and Tim is getting perilously close to a complete breakdown. He's trying to fight it, since he doesn't want to do that to Jason, who's already at his wits' end, but dammit this can't be happening.

Tim runs a hand through his hair as he sits down on an old wooden box and just breathes. Forcing down the hysterical sobs that want to rip apart his composure. How can this be happening? How can they all be... How can Tim be losing another family like this? This is all wrong. This is--

A rustle of fabric and the rattle of a gun makes Tim look up quick, then he can only stare in surprise. Jason has his gun pointed at Klarion's head. All things considered, Klarion doesn't seem particularly perturbed by this situation. "I would appreciate you not attempting to shoot at me. After all, I didn't come here to harm you with your own weaponry."

"What the hell are you doing here?" Jason snaps, irritably, but he does lower the gun.

Klarion smirks as Teekl jumps out of his arms and slinks over to Tim. "I'm not here for _you_ at all. Teekl has something of a fondness for Tim, so we decided to come to the rescue. Think of me like your little chaotic savior, here to do all I can to get rid of our mutual problem."

"Great. Then why don't you go ahead and just zap the fucker off planet and let him suffocate in space or something, already?" Jason grumbles, holstering his gun and leaning against the nearest wall.

Giving him an unimpressed look, Klarion responds, "If I could have done that I would have already. You are severely overestimating the capabilities of magic and underestimating the power of your foe. Not surprising really, he has been taking his sweet time about this. If anyone else had found that damned thing we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"What do you mean?" Tim questions, finally finding his voice. "Do you know what happened to Joker?"

With a sharp laugh, Klarion nods. "Oh yes. You would too, but for the nature of the beast."

"Just quit with the cagey shit and fill us in already," Jason growls, obviously growing short on patience. Tim doesn't blame him honestly, Klarion can be a pain in the ass to deal with sometimes.

Klarion raises an eyebrow slightly, but explains nonetheless, "It doesn't have a name, but it's an immensely powerful, magic weapon. Supposedly it was created to destroy what it deems to be redundant universes by granting godlike powers to those who meet certain qualifications."

"And Joker meets those qualifications?" Tim asks.

Shrugging Klarion answers, "Probably. I never bothered to learn them for myself, a dead universe wouldn't be much fun to play in after all. Regardless thanks to it's power I can't even begin to use my magic against Joker. That's why I'm here, to offer my assistance."

"Sounds like there's not much you can do, Blue Boy." Jason turns to Tim. "Unless I'm missing something?"

Tim grimaces, allowing himself to absently scratch Teekl behind the ears which feels a little weird knowing that they're not a real cat, but it's comforting nonetheless. "There might be one way but... it's not exactly a good one."

"Good isn't what I do anyhow, so do tell." The grin that spreads across Klarion's face is more than a little unnerving.

"We need to go back in time and kill Joker before this happens to him," Tim states, it's all he can think of.

"Delightful!" Klarion croons and Teekl lets out a purr that makes Tim's stomach turn.

Jason, by contrast, is already shaking his head when Tim turns to him. "You know I'm always here killing Joker, but messing with fucking time travel? That shit never goes the way you want it to, baby bird."

"I know," Tim agrees. Of course, he's well aware of that. Having met two future versions of himself who were both murderous assholes despite his vows to change that future made it all to clear. "But as it stands I can't think of any other way to stop him. If Klarion's right--"

"I am."

"--then what are we supposed to do on our own, Jay? Even Clark couldn't stand up against him. It's hopeless right now, but... two months ago, we know where Joker will be, we know what will happen. We can stop him then."

"And then what?" Jason gestures tiredly with one hand. "Bam! Kill the Joker. Then what, kid?"

Tim stares back at Jason, levelly, because he know exactly what would need to happen after that, but neither of them really want to voice it.

"Besides--" Jason avoids Tim's gaze. "Isn't the universe fucked anyway? Even if we kill Joker, some other fucker will just grab the artifact and that's it for the universe. If we're so determined to go back and bust something, why not the artifact itself? I mean if it's not even supposed to exist in the world it shouldn't cause a problem, right? So why don't we do that?"

Klarion giggles. "Because it no longer exists in this universe at any point in time or space. It completely erased itself from existence. That's why you all forgot it existed despite the fact that you knew all about it two weeks ago."

That's what Tim was afraid of and why he hadn't suggested destroying the thing in the first place. Klarion had said that the nature of the beast was that people who should know about it, didn't. Something powerful enough to rewrite the memories of an entire universe wasn't something they could destroy.

"Just how fucking powerful is this thing?" Jason hisses.

"Apparently it's creation devoured an entire universe full of magic users... but nobody knows for sure." Klarion studies his fingernails as he talks, obviously bored. "Sufficed to say, destroying the artifact itself is not an option. However, killing Joker has distinct possibilities. If nothing else it would make this universe unique and therefore not worth erasing."

"Just how the fuck do you know all this anyway." Jason obviously isn't liking being outnumbered here.

Klarion rolls his eyes. "I do read books after all. Now that that's solved, shall we put this plan in motion? Your universe destroyer might be taking his sweet time trying to find and kill you before he destroys the universe, but I don't fancy a battle with some one who's impervious to my magic beyond minor inconveniences."

Tim shudders. "July twenty-fifth is the last time we know where Joker was before all this. He was in--"

"You don't need to tell me all that." Klarion waves off Tim's explanation as he walks to the other side of the room and Teekl leaps up to join him. "Only whichever one of you is going needs to know where. I just need to know when."

Jason frowns. "You can only send one of us?"

"Yes," Klarion answers simply as he kicks a few things out of the way and begins setting up a sort of circle. "That choice is up to you, but it's not as though it really matters, once your mission is complete this instance will cease to be. Probably. Time isn't my forte. Chaos is."

"We know," Tim mutters, then turns to Jason. "Jay, you should go."

Giving Tim an incredulous look, Jason questions, "Why?"

"Haven't you always wanted a chance to kill Joker? Here's that chance. Besides, you're just the best person for the job," Tim lies. Mostly lies. It's true Jason, who's killed before, is more prepared to deal with this kind of job, but that's not why Tim wants him to go. Honestly he's being a little selfish. Jason's all he has left and Tim doesn't want to lose him to the void like that. "It's just better if it's you."

Jason narrows his eyes like he's seen straight through Tim's bullshit and opens his mouth to, probably, say so when there's a loud crash elsewhere in the building and an eerie giggle that signals that their time's up. Klarion lifts his head slightly, opening one eye. "No more time to chatter, birdies. Let's go."

Tim stands up and starts for the door. "Go, Jay, I'll hold him off until--"

Before Tim can make it past him, Jason grabs him and pulls him into a tight hug. "Sorry, Li'l Red."

"Wha--" Tim's question gets no further as the wall comes crashing down and Jason shoves him away. Immediately Tim feels something with fur and claws grab him by the arms from behind. Heedless of Teekl's warning growl, Tim struggles against their grip. "Wait! Jason! No! Don't--"

It's too late, Jason's already firing his guns uselessly at the Joker's head while Joker laughs with manic glee. "Oh I get to kill you all over again? This oughta be fun!"

"Jason!" Tim screeches, Teekl's claws digging painfully into his arms as he fights to get free. 

Vaguely, he hears Klarion say something that might be, "Oh, that does sound much more interesting!"

He's not paying attention though because at that's the exact moment when Jason runs out of bullets and, defiant to the end, chucks his guns at Joker's head. It only buys him a second more, in the next instant it's over. Jason's dead again and Tim couldn't save him. Tim couldn't save anyone. Angry at the world and Jason and himself, Tim screams as time slows down.

Abruptly, Teekl's gone, nothing's holding Tim in place any longer but the world around him is rushing by in a blur of movement like a video rewinding. The everything stops so suddenly that Tim's caught off balance and he falls against a crate. Bewildered he looks around and he's nowhere near Gotham. He's in a warehouse. There's a steady beeping sound, a woman sobbing as she fights against the ropes binding her to a support beam, and a badly beaten teen in the Robin suit laying on the floor.

Klarion severely overshot.

Tim takes a deep breath. He needs to get out of here right now. Crawl out the window above him and just go. He can still accomplish his goal in this time period, he shouldn't screw up the timeline any more than he absolutely has to. He can't know what that will cause.

But Jason's right there. He couldn't save his brother in the future. Couldn't stop him from dying. But here...

Shaking himself into action, Tim stands upright. He doesn't have time, this building is going to go up in minutes. He needs to act now. Without giving it more thought Tim steps out from behind the stack of crates.

Sheila jumps at his sudden appearance, looking at him in fear before she starts pleading, "Please help us! Please..."

Tim spares her a brief glance, but keeps walking to the door. He doesn't bother with the bomb, he knows he can't disarm it in time. Instead he takes a lock pick set from his shoe -- always be prepared -- and goes to work on the padlock holding the door closed. It takes longer than he'd like and by the time he finishes, Jason's stirring awake. They don't have much more time. Tim moves quickly over to Sheila and fishes out a birdarang from the pocket of his jacket. He cuts her loose as he orders, "Go, get the door open, I'll get Jason."

She nods, not really seeming to register that this complete stranger knows Robin's identity. Well, so much the better for him. As she runs for the door, Tim heads over to Jason and carefully lifts him. As he's moved, Jason groans, "B?"

"No," Tim answers, softly. "But I've got you, Jay. It'll be okay."

He carries Jason across the room to the open door where Sheila's waiting for them. She quickly moves to support Jason's other side. Between the two of them they manage to out some distance between them and the building before Tim pushes them behind a rock seconds before the blast send shrapnel shooting past their hiding spot. The rock is really too small of a shield but it does it's job for the most part.

Slowly the commotion dies down and Sheila, shaking like a leaf, her arms wrapped tight around Jason, looks up at Tim. "I-is it over? Are we really still alive?"

"Yeah." For better or worse. Tim tamps down a slue of bad thoughts as he stands up. "Yeah, we're alive."

Sheila just stares at him for a moment. "Who are you?"

"Nobody important." Tim sighs looking over at the smoldering pile of rubble that was once a warehouse. "Stay here. Batman will be here soon."

As she nods, Tim steps away from the rock and watches as Bruce arrives. Everything about this is a goddamn mess. As Bruce leaps out of the jeep and runs to the ruined warehouse, Tim makes his way over, trying to get Bruce's attention and let him know that Jason's alright. "Batman!"

Bruce doesn't seem to hear him.

"Over here! Hey!" Tim tries again, but that doesn't work either. Dammit. " _Bruce!_ "

That does it, probably because nobody in the area but Jason should know to call him 'Bruce' when he's in the Batsuit, Bruce whips around and looks down at Tim, who jerks his head towards Jason and Sheila. The wariness in Bruce's expression, turns instead to some strange combination of relief and concern as he spots the pair. In the end he doesn't speak to Tim, just rushes past him and up to where Sheila and Jason are.

Sheila looks up at Bruce as he approaches and says, with some trepidation, "He needs some serious treatment, but... I think he'll be okay... I hope he will. We can take him back to the camp and I'll treat him there."

Bruce doesn't respond verbally, just nods as he gathers Jason into his arms. He heads back to the jeep and Tim's job is done. He's about to make his getaway when Bruce's voice sounds beside him. "Come on."

"I--" Tim starts to move out of reach, but Bruce, dexterous as ever, manages to grab his arm while still holding Jason.

"You need treatment too." Bruce indicates Tim's left arm with a tilt of his head.

Tim looks down and frowns at the blood staining his sleeve. Probably from his struggle against Teekl, they had really dug their claws in. "...Okay."

Meekly, he follows Bruce back to the jeep, jumping into the passenger seat while Sheila and Bruce situate Jason in the back. Some part of him is screaming that he should run, leave, not give Bruce any more chances to figure him out. He doesn't. He's tired, still a little in shock, and, Bruce is right, he needs his injuries treated. So he just closes his eyes as the car starts and they speed away to save the boy who should have died.

***

The rest of their ride is mostly a blur for Tim and the next thing he knows he's sitting sideways in the jeep while an assistant of Sheila's tends the injuries on his arms. She seems confused about how calm he is, but doesn't say much more than to mention a few scraps and bruises he hadn't been aware of. Mostly from his fall, he suspects. Honestly he's not paying much attention to her. If he doesn't find a way to leave discretely soon he's screwed. As much as he'd like to stay here with Bruce, the longer he sticks around the more likely it is that Bruce will figure him out and that would just get in the way of the entire plan.

What is the plan though?

Before it was simple, save his family by killing the Joker then just cut the loose end and be done with it. Now he's already changed the future beyond repair and yet... there's more he can do. More he should do. Still the choices he has to make now are far from easy. He could use Bruce to get back to Gotham, kill the Joker then... but that would limit his mobility. Once Joker's dead, he'll have too little time to spare before Bruce catches up to him and when that happens it's over. There would never be enough time or money for Tim to find a way out of Gotham.

No. It's better if he stays here. As much as he hates it this is the best way. Tim looks up at Bruce who's standing a few feet away staring worriedly at the tent where Sheila had taken Jason. Bruce deserves to see his kids grow up and be happy. All of them. There's no salvaging what's left of the timeline. Might as well go big or go home, right?

The nurse pats his shoulder gently and gives him a sympathetic look before she walks away. Tim just looks down at his hands and sighs. Everything sucks. And it sucks twice as much now that a large shadow has fallen over him. Goddammit.

"Who are you?" Bruce is obviously trying his hardest to seem intimidating when Tim looks up at him, but it's pretty clear that he's just using this interrogation as a way to distract himself from Jason's condition.

Unfortunately, Tim's not going to be much help in that regard. "My name's Alvin."

"That's not what I asked," Bruce growls.

With a quiet laugh, Tim runs a hand through his hair and responds, "I know."

The look of pure bewilderment on Bruce's face when 'Alvin' utterly fails to be cowed by _the Batman_ is brilliant. Tim -- No, not Tim, he's Alvin now gotta stick to that -- wishes he could record it and send it to Jason. His Jason, who would have laughed until he fell off a rooftop over something like this.

Alvin shakes his head as the pain from that loss starts creeping back into his chest. Dammit this isn't the time for a breakdown. Save it for later.

Bruce meanwhile switches tactics. "You're not one of Joker's men. Why were you in that warehouse?"

Shrugging, Alvin stands up. "That's not really important. I should be on my way anyhow... Tell the kid I hope he gets better soon. Batman's shit without a Robin, just for the record."

"Just a--" Bruce is interrupted when Sheila steps out and calls to him.

Alvin seizes the opportunity and gets out of sight as soon as he hears Sheila tell Bruce that Jason will pull through. He doesn't have time to stick around and be interrogated by Bruce, he has to prepare for phase two of his new impromptu plan. If he's going to survive this next part he needs to approach it with extreme caution. Ra's and Talia are not easy opponents. Damn. The next few months are going to be complete hell.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic has taken me way longer than it probably should have to complete and there's definitely aspects that I'm not entirely happy with, but I wrote it to finally get the ball rolling on this series and it serves that purpose quite nicely.


End file.
